MAILBAG: Tony Elliott, Peyton Lewis and a 3-1 start

At the quarter-mark of the 2026 Virginia football regular season, it is time to check in and answer a few questions from readers.

Here are questions and answers from this week's mailbag:

From @stataliers:

Q: With Clemson trending down the past few years, what does UVA need to do to ensure Tony Elliott does not leave for Clemson should Dabo Swinney get fired? If Elliott were to leave, should fans be worried about being back to the bottom of the ACC, or optimistic given recent donor investment?

A: I’ll answer this in reverse. In short, fans should be optimistic about sustainable success. I attribute Virginia’s recent success to two key factors — Elliott’s culture, and increased investment. Without the money, this program would be winning five to eight games every year. That money, for now, does not appear to be decreasing any time soon. Donors understand the importance of having a big war chest. As for the culture, that is now deeply rooted in all aspects of the program. It is due to Elliott, but is not tied to Elliott.

As long as continuity remains with this coaching staff, the culture is not going away. As for Dabo Swinney’s situation, I do not believe Elliott would consider leaving for any job — except Clemson. But even so, it is ridiculous to assume that Elliott will be on the first flight to South Carolina when that job opens up. Tony Elliott loves UVA, period. He was courted several times over the past decade-plus, and he said no to every suitor until Carla Williams gave him the keys to this program.

If (and that is a massive if) Elliott left for Clemson, as long as a qualified assistant like John Rudzinski took over in Charlottesville, I do not believe there would be a huge falloff. Elliott has quietly assembled an extremely talented coaching staff — I could see a few of them being FBS coaches at some point in their careers.

Back to Elliott — as long as Virginia continues to give him what he needs to succeed (money, administration support, etc.) I could see him spending the rest of his career here. The Cavaliers should not be remotely worried, at least not yet.

From @MrEd315:

Q: Be honest now. Before the season did you have Virginia football at 3-1 on your bingo card? If not, what was it?

A: I had the Cavaliers at 4-0. Overall, I had them going 10-2 (and I still do). I did not know what to expect from West Virginia — but that team has been quite impressive with Michael Hawkins Jr. emerging as one of the best playmaking quarterbacks in the country.

An early-season stumble is not cause for concern. Elliott said that himself. I predict a loss at SMU, but other than that, I expect Virginia to win out. On paper, the Cavaliers should be better than just about every team left on their schedule. Wake Forest and Duke could give them a scare, and Virginia Tech will be an all-out war, but Virginia has an advantage in continuity, depth and experience.

From @Mikeysurf:

Q: Status of RB Peyton Lewis? Didn’t travel to Charlotte. Didn’t dress at home for Delaware. Hurt? Other issues?

A: Working on finding more information there. Today, Elliott said Lewis is "working back in" at practice. He did not elaborate past that.

I'll ask Elliott myself for an update at the Syracuse game. Good question. Not trying to allude to anything, but I will say that these coaches do not tolerate disrespect or any “me before we” mindset. They have sidelined a few players over the past few years if there is an issue.

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